Venice Beach Is Overrated (Unless You Know This)

Venice Beach is a weird mix of circus performers, wealthy tech bros, and tourists who thought it'd be glamorous. It's not glamorous. It's gritty, overpriced, and parts of it straight-up smell like weed and piss. But if you avoid the tourist traps and know where to actually go, it's one of the most interesting neighborhoods in LA.

I spent two weeks working remotely from Venice Beach, testing every cliché from Muscle Beach to the canals. Here's what actually matters.

Venice Beach Snapshot: Should You Even Come?

💡 Related: I Walked LA's Venice Canals — Here's What They Don't Tell You. I preferred staying in Venice for the neighborhood character and restaurants, then biking to Santa Monica when I wanted clean sand and actual swimming. If you're only visiting LA for 2-3 days total, stay in Santa Monica for convenience and day-trip to Venice. If you're staying a week+ and want to feel like a local, base yourself in Venice near Abbot Kinney and explore outward.